Argh, colder today than yesterday! But a wee bit of web surfing found this gem:
Flying in the face of conventional wisdom that states the P-51 as THE best WWII fighter, I've always thought that crown should be worn by the P-47. Granted, the -51 was prettier, but... that big, bullet-proof twin-row radial, that's the engine I would have wanted to fly behind. And that semi-elliptical, Spitfire-esque wing, well, that has an appeal all its own.
H/T Lex
Enjoyed your the post, Dave. As a longtime P51 lover, I have to admit that the "Jug" had a lot going for it, but my current favorite warbird is the F8F. That is a truly remarkable bird.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like to read a remarkable tribute to P47's, slide over to vansairvorce.net and check out the last post on page 1 of "First Flight of N666AT" by Art Treff. I think you'll like it. :)
Joel from vansairforce.net.
That was fun to watch, Dave. Wouldn't it have been great to have flown one of those?
ReplyDeleteBarry -
ReplyDeleteWell, that depends. I'm sure I would have loved flying one, but I'm not so sure about fighting with one, but you could say that about any of them. That said, had I been in the fight, I think the P-47 would have been my choice.
It's interesting that when it comes down to handling, I suspect my airplane is pretty similar in maneuverability and such. It's the raw power of that huge engine that would be different. The numbers they toss around with manifold pressure and the like are astonishing! There are obviously a lot more knobs and levers to deal with in a big plane like that, too.